Locomotive stoker



M6 1931- N. M. LOWER 1,796,798

LOCOMOTIVE sToKmi Filed Aug. 6, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMM . a im y N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Ma rch 17, 1931. 1,796,798

Filed Aug. 6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 '5 Sheets-Sheet 3 N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Aug. 6. 1926 .lll. finnilllllllhuru.

///////I/I/////////I/II/I March 17, 1931.

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NATHAN M. LOWER, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACOR- IBORATION OF DELAWARE LOGOMOTIVE STOKER Application filed August 6, 1926. Serial No. 127,593.

This invention relates to stokers, and more particularly to stokers for locomotives.

Oneof the objects of the invention is the I prov1s1on of a new and improved stoker that is provided with means for transferring and elevating the fuel at a minimum expenditure of power.

Another object of the invention is the provlsion of new and improved fuel elevating mechanism together with new and i1nproved means for controlling the operation of the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of .a new and improved adjustable means for dividin the stream of fuel conveyed from the tender or other place of supply, and directing the divided stream into the two elevator conduits.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of new and improved stoker mechanism that is cheap to manufacture, easily assembled, efficient in operation, that may be easily controlled or adjusted, is light in construction, and that is composed of a minimum number of moving parts.

Qther and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with .the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a locomotive showing the invention in position thereon, with parts in section, parts broken away, and parts removed;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1; p i

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. .1; V

ig. A: is a plan view of a portion of a stoker showing the means for holding the divider in adjusted position;

Fi 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of the device;

. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6--6 of F1g. 5.

On the drawings the reference character 10 designates the firebox of a locomotive, and 11 the backhead therefor. The backhead is provided with a fire door opening 12 as is usual such constructions.

The stoker mechanism comprises a conveyer 13 and the elevators 14 and 15. Attached to the upper ends of the elevators 14 and 15 are the distributor members 16 and 17 of the usual or of any well known construction. The elevators 14 and 15 converge downwardly and are provided at their lower ends with a rearwardly extending projection 18 in which the forward end of the conveyer 13 is pivoted in a manner well known in the art.

The conveyer 13 comprises the casing 19 and the screw conve er 21. The conveyer extends rearwardly eneath the tender in the usual manner and is operated from the high speed engine 22 thru the drive shaft 23 as is usual in such constructions. Since the details of the conveyer and its operating mechanism are well known in the art, and constitute no part of the invention, it is not thought necessary to further describe or illustrate these features.

Suitable means are provided for properly dividing the fuel delivered by the conveyer to the two elevators. Asshown, a triangular divider member 24: is employed for this purpose. The divider member 24 is pivoted at its lower end to swing about a horizontal pivot 25, see Fig. 3. The divider member is adapted to be held in adjusted position by a pivoted holding plate 26 which is provided with a plurality of notches 27, see Fi 4, for engaging a stem 28 rigidly secured to the upper end of the divider member.

In the present practice of locomotive construction, the locomotives are exceedingly large and heavy, so much so that they approach the safety limit relative to the older bridges and track constructions on the right of way. Any additional wei ht therefore on the locomotive is objectionab e. The present invention contemplates a construction in which the elevator casings are shorter than the conventional ones, and the operating mechanism much lighter, whereby the additional weight of the elevator and elevator mechanism will be reduced to a minimum.

- In order to shorten theelevator casings, the openings 31 in the backhead for receiving the distributor members are located below the either .side of the firebox.

level of the firedoor openings and are arranged at such an angle that the fuel may be pushed through the same. The openings 31 are located sufliciently above the fire level to permit the fuel to be projected into the firebox by steam jets in the usual manner.

The elevator casings 14 and 15 are arranged at such an angle that the fuel may be forced upwardly through the same by the screw conveyer without additional elevating mechanism. Under adverse conditions, as when a considerable amount of the fuel is in the form of slack or fine coal in a wet condition, it is desirable to have means for boosting or assisting in pushing the fuel through the casings in order to prevent its becoming wedged or impacted while it is being elevated.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, plungers 32 and 33 are mounted for reciprocation in the lower ends of the casings 14 and 15, respectively. They are reciprocated by the oscillating shaft 34. The shaft is provided with arms 35 and 36 to which the lower ends of the connecting rods 37 and 38 are pivoted, the upper ends of said rods being pivotally connected to said plungers. The shaft 34 is oscillated by the engine 22 through a reducing gear 40, countershaftv 39, crank arm 41 on said shaft, link 42 and crank arm'43 on the shaft 34. The crank arm 43 is longer than the crank arm 41 whereby the rotation of the countershaft 39 will cause an oscillation of said shaft 34 for reciprocating the plungers in the elevator casings.

In the operation of the device, the conveyer screw 21 forces the fuel along the conveyer and up the elevator casings. The reciprocation of the plungers in the elevator casings will assist in elevating the fuel. The fuel is distributed over the grates in the usual or any approved manner.

The divider may be adjusted to cause the proper division of the fuel to the two elevators. While the divider may be adjusted and left in adjusted position, it is understood that it may be adjusted to trim the fire at The adjusting mechanism shown is by way of example only, and may be changed as occasion or necessity requires.

The stoker illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 shows one of the simplest forms of the device. It is often desirable to trim the fire at one side of the firebox without the necessity of adjusting the divider. A construction for accomplishing this function is disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6. i

The conveyer 13 comprising the casing 19' and the screw conveyer 21 is substantially the same as in the form described above. Since the upper portions of the elevator casings 160 and 170 and the location of the openings are the same as inthe previous form, it is not thought necessary to repeat the description of these parts.

The lower ends of the elevators 160 and 170 are provided with oscillating pusher or lifting members 44 which are journaled on the shaft 45.

Suitable mechanism is provided for oscillating either one or both of the pusher members 44.

Since the construction at both sides ofthe stoker is identical, only one need be -described. A pair of eccentrics 47 and 48 are mounted on each end of the countershaft 49 extending from the gear box beneath the rearwar-dly extending portion 46 of the elevator casings. .A Stephenson link is provided for operating each of the plungers from these eccentrics. As shown, eccentric rods 51 and 52 having straps engaging the eccentrics 47 and 48 are connected at their outer ends to the ends of the slotted or radius link 53. A lever 54 is pivoted on a rigid arm 55 and its lower end is provided with a pintle 53 slidably mountedin the slot of thelink 53. The upper end of the lever 54 is pivotally connected to a link 57 the forward end of which is connected to an arm58 j ournaled on the shaft 45 and rigidly connected to the pusher member 44. Suitable means, as the connecting rod 59 and bell crank lever 61, are provided for raising and lowering the link 53. A. toothed quadrant 62 is adapted to hold the lever in adjusted position, the lever belng provided with the usual pawl for this purpose. i I

The parts are duplicated at the other side of the stoker for'oscillating the arm 58 and the corresponding pusher member 44 secured thereto.

It is evident that any throw or movement of the pusher members between zero and the1r maximum movement may be obtained forsaid pusher members by raising or lowering the levers 53. By shifting the lever to bring the pintle 56 at the middle of the slot the pusher member will cease to move. By shiftmg it toward either end the pusher member will begin to move. If one link be shifted upward the corresponding pusher member will move in one direction; if' down, it will move in the opposite direction. In other words, if both pintles 56 are in the upper portions of the slots, both pusher members will oscillate in the same phase. If, now, one of the levers 61 bemoved to raise the link 53 so that the pintle 56 will engage the lower portion of the slot, the two pusher members will be moving in opposite directions, or the phases of their movements will r be 180 apart.

The 'divider'32 may also be used, but for simplicity of illustration the divider shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is rigidly mounted in the casing as by being integraltherewith,

In the operation of the device, if it is desired to trim the fire at the right side of the fire box the pusher member at the right may be given its maximum throw and the pusher member at the left a small throw or none at all. Any desired adjustment may be given the links 53 to cause the pusher members to oscillate the required amount to deliver the proper amount of fuel to its side of the firebox.

The fuel is projected into the firebox from each distributor member by steam jets in the usual manner the steam being supplied by one or more pipes as is common in such constructions.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a locomotive stoker, a pair of elevator casings, a conveyer to deliver fuel to said casings, a pusher member in the lower portion of each casing to force the fuel upward through said casings, means for operating said pusher members, and means for varying the operation of each pusher member independently of the other.

2. In combination with the backhead of a locomotive having a pair of openings therein, a pair of elevator casings extending upwardly to said openings, a conveyer for delivering fuel to said casings, pusher means for assisting in forcing fuel thru said elevator casings and through said openings and means for operating one of said pusher means to the exclusion of the other.

3. In a stoker, a pair of elevator casings, a conveyer in communication with said casings for delivering thereto, a pusher member for each casing and means for varying the stroke of each pusher member.

4. In a stoker, a pair of elevator casings,

a conveyer in communication with said casings, a pusher member associated with each of said casings and means for operating said members simultaneously, alternately or one to the exclusion of the other.

5. In a stoker, a pair of elevator casings, a conveyer for transferring fuel from a source of supply to said casings, a pusher member in the lower portion of each casing and means including Stephenson link mecha nism for operating said pusher members independently of each other.

6. In a stoker, a pair of elevator casings, a conveyer for delivering fuel to said casings, a pusher member for forcing fuel upward in each casing and means for operating said members in the same phase or in phases 180 degrees apart.

7. In a locomotive stoker, a conveyer, a pair of elevator casings in communication with the front end of said conveyer, a pusher member for each elevator casing, said pusher members being hinged at their rear edges and means for varying the throw of each pusher member independently of the other.

8. In combination, a conveyer, a plurality of elevator casings for receiving fuel from said conveyer, a pusher member for each casing, means including a high speed motor and reducing gearing for operating said pusher members for assisting in forcing fuel through said elevator casings, and means for varying the relative movements of said pusher members. 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN M. LOWER. 

